MPs call for Government to ‘grasp the nettle’ and reassess rail plans

The Transport Committee has called for the Government to “grasp the nettle” and commit to a thorough reassessment of the its Integrated Rail Plan (IRP), which originally launched in November and saw the scaling back of rail investment in the North and the Midlands.

The Committee found in its Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands report that changes to plans and alternative options which could have a transformational impact on stations and city centre in the north “have not been properly tested”.

It says this has resulted in the IRP missing key elements of analysis of the wider economic impacts of the different options set out for Northern Powerhouse Rail, meaning value for money and economic return cannot be compared and validated.

The document which was published on Wednesday states: “The Government’s levelling up agenda commits it to ending geographical inequality in the UK. However, by underserving the rail needs of the North of England it is letting down those who require change the most.

“Upgrading lines will undoubtedly bring modest benefits to rail services in the North and Midlands, but not to the transformative extent necessary to end regional imbalances. The evidence base for the IRP must be reconsidered in the light of these aims, if this once-in-a-generation investment in rail is not to be a missed opportunity.”

Liz Truss

The report coincides with reports that Liz Truss, who is currently bidding to become the next Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader, says she will back Northern Powerhouse rail in full if she wins the leadership race.

Naz Shah MP

The IRP caused  widespread anger when it was published last year, with local MPs as well as metro mayors and business leaders condemning the decision to shunt HS2’s eastern leg into the sidings and to ignore suggestions for a Northern Powerhouse Rail line that would pass through Bradford and act as a catalyst for further growth.

Labour MP Naz Shah even confronted Prime Minister Boris Johnson in February during Prime Minister’s Questions, claiming that “government failure had robbed Bradford of £30bn worth of growth” over the next decade.

However, as the leadership contest between Truss and Rishi Sunak continues,  the Northern Labour metro mayors this week wrote to both MPs to highlight the importance of Northern Powerhouse Rail, noting: “We have been encouraged by the fact you have both signed up to the Mayor of Tees Valley’s ‘Levelling Up Pledge,” which includes a commitment to “the full construction of Northern Powerhouse Rail.”

Huw Merriman MP, chair of the Transport Committee said of the report: “We ask Government to revisit the evidence base for the decisions they have reached. In recommending this reassessment, we are mindful of a previous Transport Committee report which challenged the Government on its ability to deliver major infrastructure projects.

“Ministers must be cautious but transparent about the benefits that can be delivered by the Integrated Rail Plan. It is ambitious and exciting but public and stakeholders, especially in the North and Midlands, must be able to see that the benefits of the current proposals outweigh the other options which have been put forward.”

He added the committee welcomes “the scale of the Government’s promised spending on rail” and believed “it has the potential to transform rail travel for future generations”, but warned that “many towns and cities are already disappointed by the proposals which have been set out.”

Merriman who is MP for Bexhill and Battle explained: “The Prime Minister promised that he would, with Northern Powerhouse Rail, do for the North what he did for Londoners with Crossrail. Instead, much of the track will be an upgrade of existing line. The business case of HS2 was based on it going east to Leeds. Now, it stops in the East Midlands without any understanding of how much money is saved.

“Those we spoke to from the cities of Leeds and Bradford, in particular, do not recognise that the finalised plans meet either the promises they believe were made or the Prime Minister’s stated aims.

“For these cities, and the taxpayer as a whole, the Government must demonstrate the rationale for its decisions. An investment of this substantial sum must be based on the best evidence and the best value for money. It must bring the greatest overall benefit to rail services, the economy, environment and communities across the North and Midlands.”

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, a district which is recognised in the committee’s report as being a city whose potential could be “squandered if it is not given opportunities to thrive through better connectivity” said she welcomed the findings and that the committee had done a thorough job of assessing the evidence and pinpointing shortcomings in the decision-making process.

She added: “Bradford is Britain’s fifth largest local authority and UK City of Culture for 2025. We agree that the potential of Bradford to be a real engine for growth in the Northern Powerhouse risks being ‘squandered’ by the short-sighted decision to cancel the planned new station at St James Market, and the failure to make this part of a planned high-speed Northern Powerhouse Rail line running between Manchester and Leeds.

“This government has described levelling up as its central mission. We fully agree with the committee that ‘leaving such a large and dynamic city off the mainline would undermine the project of levelling up the country.'”

Martin Tugwell

Martin Tugwell, chief executive of Transport for the North, called the report’s publication “a vindication” of TfN’s call.

He added: “Our plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail are fully-costed and have a robust evidence base to underpin them – they will provide a good return on their investment by allowing the North to break free of the constraints that have held back our economy for too long.

“In particular, we are very pleased that the committee has asked for the Government to reconsider the case for a new station in Bradford.

“As the report says, it is vital this once-in-a-generation opportunity is not missed. We look forward to working with the Government to build on this report and re-examine the case for transformational investment in the North. We say to the Government: ‘We’ve done the work together. Now let’s get on and deliver for the North and Midlands together.'”